How Connecticut paycheck taxes work
- Connecticut income tax: rates from 2% to 6.99% for 2026.
- Before tax, Connecticut subtracts a personal exemption of $15,000 ($24,000 for a married couple).
- State payroll deductions: CT Paid Leave 0.5% up to $184,500.
- Connecticut's personal exemption ($15,000 single, $24,000 married) shrinks by $1,000 for each $1,000 of income above $30,000 ($48,000 married), so most full-time workers get little or none of it.
- Employees pay 0.5% of wages to CT Paid Leave, on wages up to the Social Security wage base ($184,500 in 2026).
Connecticut income tax rates for 2026
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $0 – $10,000 | $0 – $20,000 |
| 4.5% | $10,000 – $50,000 | $20,000 – $100,000 |
| 5.5% | $50,000 – $100,000 | $100,000 – $200,000 |
| 6% | $100,000 – $200,000 | $200,000 – $400,000 |
| 6.5% | $200,000 – $250,000 | $400,000 – $500,000 |
| 6.9% | $250,000 – $500,000 | $500,000 – $1,000,000 |
| 6.99% | over $500,000 | over $1,000,000 |
How your take-home pay is calculated
Take-home = Gross pay − 401(k) − health − HSA − federal income tax − Social Security − Medicare − Connecticut income tax − state payroll − local tax
Federal income tax uses the 2026 brackets and standard deduction. Social Security is 6.2% of pay up to $184,500 a year; Medicare is 1.45% of all pay plus 0.9% above $200,000. Pre-tax health and HSA payroll deductions lower all of these; 401(k) lowers income tax only.
Connecticut take-home pay examples
Single filer, paid every two weeks, no 401(k) or other pre-tax deductions, no local tax:
| Salary | Federal tax | Social Security + Medicare | State income tax | State payroll | Take-home a year | Per biweekly check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,820.00 | $3,825.00 | $2,000.00 | $250.00 | $40,105.00 | $1,542.50 |
| $75,000 | $7,670.00 | $5,737.50 | $3,375.00 | $375.00 | $57,842.50 | $2,224.71 |
| $100,000 | $13,170.00 | $7,650.00 | $4,750.00 | $500.00 | $73,930.00 | $2,843.46 |
Worked example, $75,000 salary:
- Federal: $75,000 − $16,100 standard deduction = $58,900 taxable. Tax = $1,240 + $4,560 + 22% × $8,500 = $7,670.00.
- Social Security 6.2% = $4,650.00. Medicare 1.45% = $1,087.50.
- Connecticut taxable income $75,000.00, Connecticut income tax $3,375.00.
- CT Paid Leave: $375.00.
- Take-home: $57,842.50 a year, or $2,224.71 every two weeks. That's 22.9% of pay in taxes.
What this calculator simplifies
- Tax is worked out for the whole year and spread evenly over your paychecks. Employers use withholding tables, so a real check can differ by a few dollars; you settle the difference when you file.
- Federal tax uses the 2026 standard deduction only. Dependents, itemized deductions and the new tips, overtime and senior deductions aren't included (W-4 Step 3 credits can be entered under More options).
- State tax covers a typical W-2 employee who lives and works in the state. State credits for dependents, renters, earned income and similar aren't included.
- Connecticut's personal tax credit (for incomes up to about $64,500 single) and its phase-out of the 2% rate and benefit recapture at higher incomes aren't included.
- State payroll deductions use your wages after pre-tax health and HSA (the same pay Social Security uses).
Compare states on the paycheck calculator by state, or see federal tax bracket by bracket in the income tax calculator.
Sources
- CT Paid Leave: contributions
- CT DRS: tax calculation schedule (exemption phase-out table)
- Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026
- IRS IR-2025-103: 2026 tax inflation adjustments
- SSA contribution and benefit base ($184,500 for 2026)
- IRS Topic 560, Additional Medicare Tax
State figures: 2026. Last reviewed October 2026.